Haiti funding cuts bite, civilian suffering intensifies in Myanmar, Belarus deaths in custody alert — Global Issues

Ongoing violence is compounding the country’s food crisis, disrupting local food production in critical areas such as the commune of Kenscoff and the Artibonite department, often considered the breadbaskets of Haiti.

While the UN and its partners are responding “wherever and whenever possible,” UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said this Wednesday that humanitarians have only been able to reach 38 per cent of the population they aim to support.

Multiple roadblocks

“This is due to ongoing violence and insecurity, severe underfunding of the response, and the obvious access challenges,” he said.

Over halfway through the year, Haiti is the least-funded of the many humanitarian appeals that the UN coordinates – despite shortfalls for food security in the country being at extreme levels – with just over two per cent of the $425 million needed this year received to date.

Myanmar: Intensifying conflict impedes humanitarian aid

Almost four months after Myanmar’s devastating earthquake, the UN is deeply concerned over the plight of civilians caught up in the country’s devastating and continuing conflict between the military regime and opposition armed groups.

As fighting intensifies, civilians are particularly vulnerable, with increasing attacks on infrastructure.

According to reports, an air strike hit a monastery in Sagan Township in Sagaing Region on 11 July, killing 22 people and injuring at least 50 others. The monastery had been providing shelter to displaced people who had fled nearby villages.

A displacement camp in North Shan State was also reportedly hit by an airstrike over the weekend.

‘Broader pattern’

“These incidents are part of a broader pattern of attacks affecting people across Myanmar,” said Mr. Dujarric, with frequent reports of people being killed, injured or displaced by violence.

Such insecurity also impacts the ability of humanitarian teams to reach people in need: with one in three people now facing acute hunger, and the current monsoon season having caused flooding, “the UN urgently calls on all parties to respect human rights and international humanitarian law,” he said.

Belarus: Rights experts urge probe into deaths in custody of opposition activists

Top independent human rights experts called on Belarus on Wednesday to launch urgent investigations into the deaths of several people jailed for political dissent.

The experts – who are known as Special Rapporteurs – highlighted the case of 61-year-old businessman Valiantsin Shtermer. He died in May 2025 while serving his sentence in a so-called “Correctional Colony” in Šklou.

Mr. Shtermer had been jailed for making critical remarks about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite his serious medical condition, he was allegedly denied adequate care in prison.

Fifty-year-old opposition activist Vitold Ashurak meanwhile, also died shortly after being placed in an isolation in the same prison.

According to the Special Rapporteurs, Mr. Ashurak was a member of the Belarusian National Front who was jailed for violating public order during protests related to the disputed 2020 presidential elections.

We must not ignore these deaths

“These deaths must not be ignored,” said the experts, who added that there were strong grounds to believe that they resulted from abuse or neglect linked to the exercise of fundamental rights.

“It is of the utmost importance to thoroughly investigate the alleged instances of ill-treatment and neglect that resulted in the deaths of Shtermer, Ashurak, Puškin and other persons designated as political prisoners by human rights defenders,” the Human Rights Council appointed experts underscored.

“There are strong reasons to believe that these individuals lost their lives in retaliation for exercising their civil and political rights, including the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.”

The independent experts voiced concern that some opposition figures had been stigmatised and labelled as “extremists” or even “terrorists”.

Special Rapporteurs report regularly to the Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff and do not receive payment for their work.